


The Stars in His Cup

by NikAdair



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: College AU, Dorks in Love, Faerie AU, Faerie Akaashi, Fluff, Magic AU, barista Akaashi, coffee shop AU, college student Bokuto, witch Bokuto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28485474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikAdair/pseuds/NikAdair
Summary: In the purple-red light coming in through the window, his eyes looked like stars in the sunset sky. It caught Akaashi by surprise, and he knew he was staring. But he couldn’t look away. Something about them had him mesmerized, unable to look away.His heart skipped a beat, and he bit his lip. The feeling was foreign, unwanted, and it left him confused.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	The Stars in His Cup

**Author's Note:**

> My piece for the Urban Fantasies Big Bang!
> 
> Beautiful art done by the wonderful [Tai](http://kingstrawberrymilk.tumblr.com/).  
> Check it out [here](https://kingstrawberrymilk.tumblr.com/post/639143089685037056/the-stars-in-his-cup-nikadair-haikyuu)

Mocha wafted off the drink in his hand, a swirl of white mixing with the chocolate. Akaashi poured in a clear shot, blue sparks dusting over the surface for a fraction of a second before fading away. A second and third shot were added, and he gave the cup a swirl before placing a lid on it. He handed it to the girl at the end of a counter.

“Here’s your drink, miss. Good luck on your presentation,” he said with a pleasant smile. The girl nodded gratefully, taking a sip of the drink. He could see her eyes light up for a second, and her smile grew just a little. She turned and hurried out, a faint trail of blue following her.

Akaashi smiled as she retreated, turning his attention to the counter. There was a fine layer of mocha dust, and he gave it a swipe, the dust lifting into the air and swirling for a second before falling to the ground. He chuckled a little, shaking his head. Of course his magic would take hold for a moment, making a show of the dust.

The bell rang over the door, and Akaashi gasped, his body feeling heavy with exhaustion. He looked up, the exhaustion breaking way as a wave of laughter threatened to wash over him. A very tired looking boy had walked in, grey and black hair disheveled and bag half hanging on his shoulder. Had it not been for the exhaustion wafting off of him, he knew he’d have laughed under his breath.

He got a better look of the boy as he walked up to the counter. He had bags under his eyes -- golden eyes that looked as though they were fighting to stay focused -- and he knew instantly that he needed a shot of Relaxation and Peace, as well as several shots of espresso. The boy sighed, looking up at him with a tired smile.

“Can I get the sugariest drink you have?” he said, his voice sounding just as tired as his eyes looked. Akaashi nodded, thinking through what to make him in the few seconds it took for the boy to pay.

“Name?” he asked, holding his pen over the cup. The boy froze, looking at him confused. “For the drink,” he explained, shaking the cup a little.

“Oh,” the boy laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “Bokuto.” Akaashi copied the name to the cup and nodded, moving to his right to make the drink.

A warm drink, given the chill that had followed the boy into the shop. Dark roast coffee with two shots of espresso, heavy cream to take away some of the bitterness. Caramel and vanilla syrup mixed in, as well as liquid sugar. A shot of Relaxation and a shot of Peace, blue sparks dancing over the drink before being covered with a mound of whipped cream. A dusting of cocoa and drizzle of caramel to finish it off.

Akaashi tapped the counter, startling the boy -- Bokuto -- as he looked up from his phone. “Your drink,” he said, handing it to him. Bokuto took it, nodding gratefully. He looked down, perking up just a little at the whipped cream.

Bokuto took a sip, humming happily before taking a second, much larger one. In an instant, the tiredness seeped away from him, and when he looked back up at Akaashi, he saw those golden eyes shimmering with the effects of the magic.

In the purple-red light coming in through the window, his eyes looked like stars in the sunset sky. It caught Akaashi by surprise, and he knew he was staring. But he couldn’t look away. Something about them had him mesmerized, unable to look away.

His heart skipped a beat, and he bit his lip. The feeling was foreign, unwanted, and it left him confused. Bokuto, to his benefit, was completely oblivious to everything going on with Akaashi. Instead, the boy was busy taking pictures of the drink despite the whipped cream cloud no longer pristine.

They both jumped when his phone went off -- an alarm playing an unknown foreign song. Bokuto’s face flushed and he swiped at the screen, looking up at Akaashi apologetically. “Sorry about that, and thank you for the drink. I gotta go,” he said, quickly turning and walking out of the shop.

Akaashi watched him leave, trails of blue following after him. His heart flipped again, and he turned away, instead running a rag over the nearly clean counter in front of him. There was something about this feeling, something that felt familiar yet completely foreign. He didn’t like it. Didn’t know what to make of it. So instead of dwelling on it, he distracted himself with cleaning.

-.-.-

It’s a few days later when Bokuto returned to the shop. Akaashi had just come back to the counter with a few bottles of syrup when he was hit with a wave of stress and frustration. It left him reeling for a second, his chest feeling tight and mind racing a mile a minute. He looked up to see those golden eyes looking even more exhausted than they had the last time, and his heart squeezed.

Given that the shop had only been open for a half hour, he was surprised that anyone was up, let alone out and about. But also given that it had only been open for a half hour, he made the split second decision to ask Bokuto how things were.

“Exhausting. We’ve hit the point in the semester where we’re just having information dumped on us and being expected to regurgitate it like it’s second nature,” Bokuto said, slumping a little against the counter.

Akaashi leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand. “What are you studying?” he asked. He knew the feeling, but he’d really only associated that level of exhaustion with advanced math and complicated science.

“Astrophysics,” Bokuto replied. Akaashi tilted his head a little in a sign of confusion, and Bokuto elaborated. “It’s basically astronomy on steroids. It deals with the principles of physics and chemistry to figure out the nature of space objects rather than where they are or how they move.”

All of that went over Akaashi’s head, but he nodded nonetheless. “And what exactly does one do in astrophysics?” he said, smiling softly.

Bokuto looked at him for a second, as though he didn’t believe him when he asked, but blinked and continued. “Astrophysicists study different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, like the emissions, and also look at the different properties of them, like luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. There’s a lot of math involved in that, and it’s a pain to understand.”

He nodded again, knowing full well that he would have to do a little research into the field to fully understand what he said.

“But there’s also different areas of study to it, like finding the properties of dark matter, dark energy, and black holes. Or seeing if time travel is possible. Or even just researching the origin and end of the universe,” Bokuto said, his attention having moved from Akaashi to the window.

“That does sound complicated,” Akaashi commented, watching Bokuto. He heaved a sigh, turning back towards him.

“It is. But it’s also really interesting and worth the work,” he said, his voice soft. Akaashi hummed, nodding. He definitely understood that sentiment. Bokuto shook his head, pushing off the counter and turning to properly face him. “Anyway, I’ve spent the past few days studying for far too long trying to drill the information into my head and I’m just hoping that I pass my exam today.”

Akaashi stood, cocking his head to the side a little. “An exam, huh? I’m sure you’ll do great.”

Bokuto blinked, a small smile tugging at his features. “Thanks, Akaashi,” he said.

The use of his name caught him off guard, and Akaashi froze, his heart stuttering for a second. He tried to push the feeling away, annoyed that it kept happening, but it wouldn’t leave, instead overtaking his thoughts.

A memory flashed in his mind, something his mother had told him years ago.

\---

_“Mom, how did you know you were in love with dad?” Akaashi asked, looking up from his homework. His mom turned away from the stove, smiling at him._

_“There was this annoying feeling in my chest. It was like butterflies caught in a jar. Completely different from the way love had felt before,” she said, setting the spoon she had on the counter. “It was light and floating, in the way a bubble moved. Why do you ask?”_

_Akaashi bit his lip, tapping his pencil. “I heard Konoha talking about how he didn’t know his dad cause he never married his mom, and how some of my other friends had agreed with him. They all looked at me weird when I told them you and dad were married.”_

_His mom’s smile grew a little sad, and she walked over to the table, sitting next to him. “Love for us, for the Fae, is different than for them. For humans, like dad. For us, it’s like the way a dog will growl and bark to protect their pups. We don’t have much control over our feelings, and it leaves us confused. But for humans, it’s so much more.”_

_“Like butterflies and bubbles?” Akaashi asked, slowly making the connections._

_His mom nodded, reaching forward and brushing a hand through his hair. “Exactly like that. They get to experience something that feels warm and happy.”_

_He frowned. “So then why did they look at me weird? Why does it matter?”_

_“Because a lot of the older families frown upon relationships between the Fae and humans, saying that it taints our blood.” Her voice had taken on a bitter tone. “They don’t like it, nor do they like people who come from it.”_

_“People like me,” Akaashi said quietly, realisation hitting him. He looked down at his homework, a sinking feeling filling his chest._

_His mom pulled him into a hug and held him tight. “No matter what they say, there is nothing wrong with you. Remember that.”_

\---

Love. That’s what he was feeling. That warm, butterfly feeling. He could feel himself starting to panic at knowing what that annoying feeling was, and he saw blue sparks flickering in his hand. “So, what can I get you, Bokuto?” he asked, trying to distract himself.

Bokuto hummed, bobbing his head a little. “How about the same thing you made last time. It was really delicious,” he said with a smile.

“I can definitely do that,” Akaashi said, briefly making a list of the extra shots he would add. Focus, Relaxation, possibly Peace. He was a little frazzled to think through everything, going with the ones that stood out to him.

He made quick work of the drink, and in his slightly frazzled state, he’d added three shots each of the characteristics rather than three total. It wasn’t until Bokuto had taken a sip of the drink that he’d realized his mistake.

His golden eyes were shining so bright that he was sure that Bokuto could see it in the still slightly dim shop. Blue sparks played off his hair, dancing around the tips, before disappearing. Blue mist rose from his shoulders. Akaashi’s eyes widened a little, and he bit his lip.

“This is just as good as last time,” Bokuto said, his voice taking a singsong quality. Akaashi nodded, unable to think of what to say. Not that he had to. “I should get going, I have some last minute studying to do. I’ll see you later, Akaashi!”

Bokuto walked out of the shop, and Akaashi sighed, slumping over the counter. His heart pounded and his mind spun. He couldn’t be in love. Not this kind of love. He knew the looks people gave his parents. The disgust, the anger. The way people whispered behind their backs. He didn’t think he’d be able to deal with it.

Akaashi retreated to the back, giving himself time to calm down. To catalogue everything in his mind, sifting through what he could deal with at present and what he could deal with at a later date. Slowly, his heart rate slowed and he no longer felt like his mind was cluttered. He walked back out to the counter, faking a smile as someone came in.

-.-.-

Much to his surprise, Bokuto came back later that day, closer to closing.

He was busy scribbling down notes in his notebook -- notes, Akaashi guess, and he chuckled as Bokuto kept walking, straight into the counter. He stumbled, pencil clattering to the floor, and he blinked, looking up at him. His eyes still shimmered from that morning, though not as intense, and Akaashi could feel Focus and Peace rolling off of him.

“So, how did your exam go?” Akaashi said, smiling in amusement.

Bokuto bent down to pick up his pencil, closing it in his notebook. “Surprisingly well. I won’t know the score for a week, but I think I passed, at least.”

“That’s good to hear. Guess all the studying did you well.” Bokuto nodded, smiling up at him. “I’m guessing that doesn’t mean you get a day off from studying though, right?”

His smile crumpled a little, and he sighed, shaking his head. “No, unfortunately not. Gotta be able to recall it all in a few months for finals. But we at least get a few hours reprieve before being suffocated with new information,” he said, fingers tapping the back of his notebook.

“Take advantage of that,” Akaashi said. “It doesn’t happen very often.”

“God, tell me about it. Anyway, can I get my usual?”

“Your usual, huh? Is that what we’re calling it?” Bokuto furrowed his brows a little, and Akaashi laughed. “I’m kidding, and of course.”

Bokuto squinted at him for a second before breaking into a wide grin, making Akaashi’s chest feel tight. “You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

He hummed. “Well, I don’t think I am, but my friends do.”

Bokuto shook his head, walking to the other end of the counter. Still feeling the aftereffects of his magic from the morning, Akaashi made his drink with no magic. He didn’t entirely know what would happen with an overload of magic on a human, nor did he want to find out. Plus he didn’t think there’d be anything Bokuto would need added, so he didn’t see any reason to add anything.

He passed the drink to him, their fingertips brushing for just a second, and it sent Akaashi’s mind spiralling and heart squeezing. They were warm, almost electric, and it sent a shiver up his arm. Bokuto thanked him, retreating to one of the tables next to the window, and Akaashi watched, his hand still outstretched for a second longer before he pulled it back.

Akaashi busied himself with cleaning the counter, restocking the syrups, everything he needed to close. He glanced up a few times to watch Bokuto study, and each time it made his heart flutter. He was really growing annoyed with the feeling. It was new and foreign, and knowing what it was -- knowing that is love -- made a small part of him excited.

But a much larger part of him was nervous. Being in love hadn’t been an idea in his mind until recently. Love was something the Fae didn’t feel often, emotions being messy for them. He’d learned at a young age that the Fae didn’t have use for love the same way humans did. Knew that it wasn’t important. But this feeling, this felt important, and it scared him.

He shook his head, finishing up with everything, and he glanced at the clock. Only a few minutes before the shop was supposed to close. He steeled himself, wringing his hands behind his back as he walked over to Bokuto. Said boy was busy writing in his notebook, a textbook lying in front of him. His empty cup had fallen, staining the edge of his notebook.

“Bokuto,” Akaashi said, voice quiet. Bokuto didn’t look up, continuing to write. “Bokuto,” he tried again, voice louder. There was still no reaction, and he sighed, reaching a hand out to tap his shoulder. Bokuto jolted, pencil streaking across the page. He bit back a laugh. “Bokuto, I have to close the shop.”

Bokuto blinked at him, taking a second to register what was being said. “Oh. _Oh._ Sorry,” he said sheepishly. He quickly packed his things, nearly dropping his bag in the process. Akaashi chuckled, watching him.

All at once, a wave of exhaustion hit him, and he knew it wasn’t from Bokuto. The setting sun had dipped below the line of the window, and he could feel the loss of energy from a full day of magic use. He willed his illusion magic to hold enough to keep his wings and hair hidden, but it wasn’t enough to keep his ears hidden as well. He quickly untucked his hair, hand falling to his side when Bokuto looked at him.

His eyes were still shimmering, but not in the way that they had from Akaashi’s magic. Instead of the starlike quality they’d had, it was more of honey caught in the sun. Soft, sweet, liquid. That was the best way he could explain it. Once again, he was caught in them, and his heart fluttered as he looked at them.

Akaashi blinked, realizing, once again, that he’d been staring, and was relieved that Bokuto hadn’t caught on. “You’re welcome to come back tomorrow, if you’d like,” he said, his voice pitched a little higher than normal. He stretched to hide it, feeling like he was back in high school. “We’re open longer on the weekends, so you won’t be kicked out so early.”

Bokuto chuckled, smiling a little. “Are you gonna be working tomorrow?” he said, biting his lip. Akaashi blinked, and Bokuto’s face flushed. “It’s just, you make the best drinks, and I really like them, and--” he cut himself off, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. Akaashi had started laughing.

“Sorry, that was rude of me,” he said, taking a breath to calm himself down. “Tomorrow is my day off, actually, but I can come by, if you want. I do have some class work I need to take care of.”

“That would be awesome,” Bokuto said, settling back into an easy smile. “I’ll be here around one, if you want to join me.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” Akaashi said. Bokuto smiled more, and his heart fluttered.

-.-.-

He walked into the shop the next day, asking himself for the umpteenth time why he’d agreed to come.

Akaashi looked around nervously, catching the eye of Konoha at the counter. He smiled in greeting, waving a little at the playful wink he got. He turned his gaze to the tables by the window, seeing Bokuto at the same one he’d been at the previous night.

The light blue hoodie he was wearing stood out against the purple-red of the window, and for a moment, it reminded Akaashi of the night sky -- galaxies of colour exploding against a black canvas. It was why they’d chosen those colours for the windows. He smiled a little, finding it a little ironic that Bokuto seemed to always be surrounded by space things.

Bokuto looked up, seeing Akaashi, and waved him over. He took a breath and walked over, pushing his nervousness down as he took the seat across from him. Bokuto smiled at him for a moment before ducking his head, jotting something down. Akaashi looked at it, seeing various numbers and equations scattered over the page. It made his head spin, and he instead pulled out his laptop. Numbers had never been something he liked.

Instead, he was much better with words. Except for when said words eluded him. Like now.

The unfinished outline document from earlier that morning blinked at him, mocking him for his lack of ideas. He was stuck on the connecting tissue between two scenes. Everything had come to him so easily -- it helped that it was magic oriented -- but getting from one scene to the next felt like trying to solve one of Bokuto’s physics equations.

Bokuto’s head peeked over the top of his laptop, trying to look at the screen, and he shifted the laptop just enough for him to see, ignoring the way his heart raced. He also chose to ignore the way his face burned. He continued to stare at the screen, finger tapping the table lightly, tossing around ideas in his head. Akaashi was lost in thought, and wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings.

“...hair, it really suits you.” He blinked, refocusing on the world outside of his screen. Bokuto smiled at him, and Akaashi quirked an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked, confusion clear in his voice.

Bokuto chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “I said, I like the blue in your hair, it really suits you.”

Akaashi’s eyes widened, and he fumbled to get his camera open without letting Bokuto know. He looked at the screen, seeing sapphire streaking through his hair, realizing that he’d forgotten to hide the colour. “I-- Well-- Uh--” he stammered, trying (and failing) to come up with something to say.

Bokuto laughed, causing Akaashi to freeze. “Whatever you’re about to say, don’t. I really like the way it looks.”

His face burned, and he slumped down in his chair, hiding his face behind his laptop. “Thank you, Bokuto,” he mumbled, typing a couple sentences in his outline.

“I’m gonna go get a drink. I’ll be back,” Bokuto said. Akaashi nodded, watching him walk over to Konoha, and he sighed, burying his face in his hands.

“Get ahold of yourself, Akaashi,” he muttered to himself, closing his eyes. He could already tell his anxiety was causing his magic to act up a little. Could tell in the way his hands felt cooler than usual. He took a deep breath, both to calm his magic down and to settle his nerves.

Instead, he focused on the frustration of not knowing where to take his outline. Something he could control. He sat up, hands dropping to his keyboard. Akaashi read over the little bit he’d added and frowned, highlighting and deleting the entire section. His cursor blinked back at him, instilling annoyance in him.

A cup was suddenly in his line of sight, and he blinked. “You looked like you could do with a ‘pick me up’,” Bokuto said, taking his seat. “Though I’ll admit, it doesn’t taste as good as yours.” He took a drink and frowned a little down at the cup.

Akaashi chuckled, setting his cup off to the side. “Careful there. If Konoha hears you, I won’t hear the end of it.”

Bokuto laughed, shaking his head. “I doubt that’s the case.”

“Don’t blame me if I stop making your drinks,” Akaashi said, hiding his grin behind his cup as Bokuto gasped in mock hurt.

“You wouldn’t!” Akaashi quirked an eyebrow. Bokuto’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, you would.”

He laughed, settling his gaze back on his laptop. Immediately, his frustrated frown returned. Akaashi wrote out a few lines, frowned more, and erased them again. He slumped back with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

“Anything I can help with?” Bokuto asked. Akaashi looked up, tilting his head a little.

“Actually, yeah,” he said, sitting up again. “I’m stuck on trying to figure out how to connect these two scenes.” He turned his laptop towards Bokuto, giving him full access to his screen.

Bokuto read over the two scenes, humming a little under his breath. “What if you change perspectives to the other character?” he said after a minute. Akaashi blinked at him, and Bokuto explained. “Like, instead of writing a scene with the original perspective, change it up. Explain how things are from the other character.”

“That… might actually work,” Akaashi said, pulling the laptop back towards him. He mentally switched gears, thinking about things from the other character, and his hands flew over his keyboard. After a while, he sat back, reading over the sequence of scenes. It fit perfectly.

He turned the laptop back towards Bokuto, who’d gone back to his notes, and he looked up, reading over it. “Akaashi, holy heck, this sounds amazing!” he said, looking up at him excitedly.

Akaashi rubbed the back of his neck, his face flushing. “I don’t know about ‘amazing’. But your idea of switching perspectives fit perfectly there.”

This time, it was Bokuto’s face that flushed. He smiled, ducking his head to look back at his notebook, and Akaashi pulled his laptop back towards him, switching to a different section of the outline. By the time he finished it, the sun was set low in the sky. He finished off the rest of his drink and packed his laptop.

“I should probably get back home, it’s getting late,” he said. Bokuto looked up at him, nodding. Akaashi swiped the cup, walking over to the trash can.

“Wait! Akaashi!” Bokuto called, the chair almost falling in his haste to stand. Akaashi looked at him alarmed, and he rushed over. “Look at the cup.”

Akaashi quirked an eyebrow, glancing down at it. “There’s nothing on it, Bokuto,” he said, a little confused.

“The other side,” Bokuto said insistently.

He turned it, seeing writing on it that he’d somehow missed. Written on the cup was _From the Star Boy sitting with you._ Akaashi’s face flushed, and he looked up at Bokuto, who was smiling sheepishly.

“I really like your company,” he said, voice embarrassed. “Maybe we can hang out again? Like, without the school work?” Bokuto tried to keep his voice casual, but the reddening of his face betrayed him.

“I’d like that,” Akaashi said, feeling his own face burn.

Bokuto perked up, nodding vigorously. “Awesome.” He paused, biting his lip. “Can I have your number? So we can figure something out?” Akaashi's face burned more and he nodded, writing his number on Bokuto’s hand. “I’ll text you later so you have my number. I’ll see you Monday, Akaashi.”

Akaashi watched Bokuto hurry back to his table, busying himself with his notes, and he watched him for a moment longer before turning to walk out of the shop, the cup still clutched in his hands. It wasn’t until he’d gotten home that he realized that Bokuto had basically asked him out on a date.

His heart fluttered, and this time, there was the feeling of butterflies in his stomach as well. He fell back onto his bed, screaming silently into his hands. He hated the butterfly feeling, but there was something else with it. Something warm. Something light. Something nice.

His phone buzzed, and he jumped, fumbling to pull it from his pocket. An unknown number stared up at him, accompanied with a text.

**UNKNOWN** : Hey, it’s Bokuto  
**UNKNOWN** : Thought I should text you now before I forgot

Akaashi smiled, saving the number under ‘Golden Boy’.

**Akaashi** : I now have your number saved  
**Golden Boy** : I’m glad

He stared at his screen, biting his lip.

**Akaashi** : Would it be weird to ask for a picture to use as a contact photo?

When he didn’t get an immediate response, Akaashi started thinking that it was weird to ask, and that he’d screwed up. He was about to text Bokuto to forget that he’d asked when his phone buzzed.

**Golden Boy** : [Picture]

Staring up at him was a picture of Bokuto, who was still at the coffee shop. His face was tinted red and purple from the fleeting sunlight coming in through the window. He was smiling softly, eyes looking like they were glowing. It made Akaashi’s thoughts short circuit, and he couldn’t do anything but stare at the picture.

**Golden Boy** : I hope the silence is a good thing  
**Golden Boy** : Akaashi?  
**Golden Boy** : Look, I might be starting to panic. Please say something.

Akaashi shook his head, reading his messages.

**Akaashi** : Sorry, yeah, it’s a good thing. You look good  
**Golden Boy** : Oh. Wow. I wasn’t expecting that

He smiled for a second before letting it fall. He realized he should probably send him one, too. Akaashi sat up, moving to sit against the headboard. He smiled a little -- more of just a lift of one side of his lips -- and raised his eyebrows a little. There wasn’t much light in his room, but there was enough to illuminate his features.

**Akaashi** : [Picture]  
**Golden Boy** : I definitely wasn’t expecting a response picture  
**Akaashi** : I thought it was only fair  
**Golden Boy** : You look really good

Akaashi groaned, his face burning.

**Akaashi** : Thank you, Bokuto  
**Golden Boy** : [Kissy face emoji]  
**Golden Boy** : I’m leaving the coffee shop now. I’ll text you when I get home  
**Akaashi** : Be safe

-.-.-

It was a few weeks before they could go on their date (at least, that’s what he was calling it).

Akaashi walked up to the restaurant (if it could be called that) and tugged at the bottom of his shirt. He could see his reflection in the door -- black skinny jeans tucked into boots, a dark blue button up on top. His hair had blue streaks throughout, Akaashi having opted to not hide his hair.

He took a breath and walked in, eyes scanning the room until they landed on Bokuto. Relief washed over him. He’d been worried that he was over dressed. But Bokuto was sitting at one of the tables dressed in white skinny jeans and a gold button up, one that matched the colour of his eyes.

Bokuto caught his eye, smiling wide, and Akaashi walked over, taking the seat opposite him. “You look nice,” Bokuto said, his smile softening.

“You look nice as well,” Akaashi said, smiling back at him. Bokuto’s face flushed, and he chuckled. “I see that you still have a hard time with compliments.”

“Says the one who short circuited the other day,” Bokuto mused. Akaashi rolled his eyes.

“Right. Cause I asked for the shirtless picture,” Akaashi shot back, watching Bokuto’s face flush.

“Yeah, well, you didn’t have to respond with your own,” Bokuto said. Akaashi tried to come up with a response, but his face burned and he couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Bokuto looked at him smugly. “I win.”

Akaashi scrunched his nose, crossing his arms. “You’re lucky you're cute.” His eyes widened a split second, realizing what he’d said. His face burned, and Bokuto gaped at him. “I didn’t mean to say that.” Bokuto just stared at him, and he groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

It was quiet for a second before Bokuto started laughing. Akaashi peeked through his fingers, a smile tugging at his lips. “You are so cute,” Bokuto said, causing Akaashi’s face to burn more. “Like, of course you’d just blurt something like that out. And I thought I was the impulsive one.”

“Oh, shut up,” Akaashi said, starting to laugh. Bokuto laughed more, and he lightly kicked him under the table.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Bokuto said, taking a few breaths to calm down. “How’s your story coming along?”

Akaashi blinked, caught off guard by the sudden switch in topics. But he gladly let it change. “Really well, actually. I just finished a part that I really like.” He paused for a second. “Do you want to read it?”

Bokuto smiled, nodding. “I’d be honoured.”

He shook his head a little at the comment, and pulled out his phone, bringing the story up. He scrolled down until he got the part he had been talking about and passed the phone to Bokuto. “It’s here to the end.”

Bokuto took the phone, eyes scanning over the screen. Akaashi wrung his hands a little. He was always nervous when it came to people reading his writing, and for some reason, it was even worse with Bokuto.

It was a few minutes before he was being handed his phone back. “I’m sure I’ve said this before, but you really have a talent for this,” Bokuto said. “My favourite part has to be where you describe the dragon. The imagery of the sapphire eyes against the reds and oranges of the flames is so amazing.” Bokuto blinked, and Akaashi swore his eyes started shimmering. “ _You’re_ amazing, Akaashi.”

Akaashi’s face burned, but he smiled brightly. “Hearing that from you is high praise,” he teased, trying to make sense of the last part. Bokuto blinked, smiling a little, and Akaashi bit his lip. “Thank you, Bokuto. You’re amazing, too.” He cleared his throat. “How’s school going for you?”

Bokuto shifted into his ‘space mode’, as Akaashi called it, and started talking about the different things he’d learned about black holes. “We recently learned about the theory that black holes are actually the opening to wormholes, and that they would connect with a white hole somewhere else in the universe. It’s actually a pretty interesting topic, because this theory also talks about how these wormholes could not only aid in intergalactic space travel, but also the beginnings of time travel.”

Akaashi nodded and listened to him talk, knowing full well that he wasn’t going to understand anything that Bokuto said. But that was okay. He was content with listening if it meant getting to hear his voice.

-.-.-

Lunch ended a couple hours later, and Bokuto walked Akaashi back to his car. “Thank you for lunch,” Akaashi said. “I’ll definitely pay for the next one.”

“First off, like hell I’m letting you pay for lunch next time. Second, does that mean you’ll let me take you to lunch again?” Bokuto said, a little surprised.

Akaashi smiled, nodding. “Maybe not lunch, cause that was a disaster to arrange. But maybe a movie or something.”

Bokuto smiled wide. “I think a movie would be a great idea.” He paused for a moment, and Akaashi could see he was fighting with himself with something. Bokuto blinked, and there was nervousness in his eyes. “Akaashi, I need to tell you something.”

Akaashi’s heart started beating faster, his mind running through every scenario that could play out. He bit his lip, schooling his features into a calm look. “Yes, Bokuto?”

“I--” Bokuto started, voice catching in his throat. He cleared it, taking a deep breath. “I’m a witch,” he rushed. Akaashi blinked in surprise, and Bokuto’s body language made it seem like he was ready to bolt.

He was silent for a moment too long, and Bokuto had started to panic. “Haha, funny joke, Bokuto. Magic isn’t real. What are you talking about?” Bokuto sputtered, face reddening. He took a step back, ready to pivot, and Akaashi reached out, grabbing his arm.

Bokuto looked at him, frightened, and Akaashi’s heart squeezed. “Bokuto, relax. I know magic is real.” Bokuto looked at him in confusion, and Akaashi smiled a little. “I’m a Fae.” He closed his eyes, feeling his magic wash over him, and he heard Bokuto gasp. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know why. The wind hitting his wings was proof enough.

He opened his eyes, seeing Bokuto staring at him wide eyed, and he felt his face flush, not used to the awe struck look. He didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? He’d just revealed his biggest secret, and to someone he loved no less.

“I knew there was something magical about you,” Bokuto said. Akaashi laughed, shaking his head.

“Out of everything you could’ve said, that’s what you went with?” Akaashi said. Bokuto rolled his eyes but smiled at him.

“It’s cheesy, I know. But you like it,” Bokuto said.

Akaashi hummed. “Well, I like you, so it kind of goes hand in hand.” Bokuto sputtered, and he laughed. “I really enjoyed our date, and I’m really looking forward to our next. I do have to get going, though. I have a deadline I have to meet.”

Bokuto nodded, eyes flicking over his face briefly before he leaned down. Akaashi closed his eyes, knowing what he was going to do, and was rather disappointed when Bokuto kissed his cheek instead. “I’ll text you when I get home,” Bokuto whispered, pulling back and rushing the opposite direction to his car.

Akaashi raised a hand to his cheek, hovering over it as he watched Bokuto leave. There was a wide smile on his face despite the surprise and disappointment, and he waited until he could no longer see Bokuto’s retreating form to get in his car. Once home, he texted Bokuto.

**Akaashi** : For future reference, definitely go with a real kiss

He put his phone down, opening his laptop. He could hear it buzzing several times, text notifications popping up in the corner of his screen. He ignored them, a little lost in thought. He pulled up his story, continuing where he’d left off, determined to get a large chunk written before the end of the day.

His phone went silent and the notifications stopped popping up. Instead, his Skype icon popped up, a picture of Bokuto flashing on the screen. He answered the call, smiling smugly as Bokuto appeared on his screen. Amusement and affection were very clearly written on his face.

“You sneaky little Faerie.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: The fic Akaashi is working on (and show’s Bokuto) is one of my old fics, Flames of an Ocean. The section he shows Bokuto was one I was really proud of, and seemed fitting to reference.


End file.
